PFT’s All-Unemployed Team has a new quarterback

Posted by Mike Wilkening on May 31, 2014, 4:54 PM EST

AP

It’s been a tough run of late for Josh Freeman, so let’s look on the bright side: he is clearly the best unsigned quarterback in late-offseason free agency, the first player at his position who should get a call if there’s an injury.

Freeman’s résumé is uncommonly strong for a player seeking work, which places him atop of list of quarterbacks on our All-Unemployed Team. For one thing, the 26-year-old Freeman is roughly 20 months older than Andrew Luck. Also, he has recent starting experience, with four starts a season ago. And you don’t have to dig all that deep in his past performances to find a 25-touchdown, six-interception campaign in 2010.

It is now, as Freeman finds himself between jobs again, that he hopefully can look on the bright side. He has done a lot for a 26-year-old, and there is time left for him to do the work he wants. It will be not easy to regain an NFL foothold, but his would not be the most unlikely comeback story.

If you watched him play for Minny you, like I, find it laughable to have Josh and best anywhere near each other. He is unemployed because he sucks.

bobzilla1001 says:May 31, 2014 5:09 PM

Regardless, Freeman will always be remembered for that abysmal performance against the Giants in primetime. That was by far the worst performance by a QB in the history of history. At least one that was televised on National TV. In case you missed seeing it: He was beyond awful. He made Tim Tebow look like Peyton Manning.

I thought this guy was going to be awesome coming out of college but with that age and his past success to not be signed says a lot in today’s QB needy NFL. He must be one of the laziest bad attitude players in a league that specializes in employing morons. That says a lot about the character of Josh a Freeman. Wake up idiot you could be great if you just grow up!!!

If your looking for a “awe shucks” type of QB he’s a prototype. Could be an asset for a team looking for a guy who can throw game-ending picks and be completely unfazed by it.. Also he boosts taco bell sales in any town he lives in… other than that your gonna get a pretty bad player. Maybe the redskins will look to sign him.

So Josh Freeman had “a 25-touchdown, six-interception campaign in 2010.” That is 4 seasons ago. 4 years is a lifetime in the NFL. Just ask Mark Sanchez. And Michael Vick.

From what I can tell, Freeman’s problem is that his heart is just is not in it. Bad work ethic. Plus he cannot learn an offense. He seems … confused. Example: the infamous Vikes/Giants game which has been called one of the worst performances by a QB in recent history.

When I first saw Michael Vick play, I concluded he would never make a quality NFL quarterback because he showed a lack of patience, turning what could have been great pass plays into runs by leaning on the run too much. Later, he admitted to never listening to coaches and not studying. And his career, except the dogfighting horror, has gone as I would have expected. Lots of thrills, not so much on victories/championships.

When I first saw Josh Freeman play, I thought he had REAL potential to be a solid quarterback in the NFL. I don’t particularly follow the Bucs, and stopped watching them altogether when Greg Schiano became the coach and attacked the ‘victory formation.’ So I don’t care to speculate as to why Josh’s career has imploded, but it really wasn’t what I thought would happen.

when we have to reach back 4 years ago that he had real success as a starting qb in the NFL it speaks volumes.
it doesnt what the reason is
he cant play anymore. only fools will think they can resurrect this guy after 4 years.
3 teams have given up on him in less than a calendar year.

Let’s be honest the teams this guy has been on aren’t the greatest judges of QB talent and most importantly the coaches this guy has played for haven’t been Vince Lombardi (two of them weren’t even Michael Lombardi).

Jury is still out whether the guy can pick up a new offense or not because he’s never had the chance. The Vikings last coaching staff decided to model their team after the 2011 Indianapolis Colts who almost signed a new QB daily and threw them into the starting role after a half of practice and wondered why they went 2-14 and much like that Colts staff Leslie Frazier and company were looking for work too.

Getting cut by the Giants isn’t that big a deal considering who they have as their backups which obviously shows they just want a body back there and not someone the New York media is going to moan for starting time the second Eli Manning repeats one of his interception filled performances (no one is going to beg for Curtis Painter to get in a game no matter how bad Eli plays).

Freeman NEVER should have played that game vs the Giants and that’s definitely a reason Minnesota has a new coaching staff today. Instead of forcing Kyle Orton into another year Dallas should probably give him a look.

stellarperformance says:May 31, 2014 8:31 PM

The Packers have two QB’s behind Rodgers that I would put up against anything the Vikings have to offer…..Flynn and Tolzien.

You can try to even it out by giving each of them feminine sounding nicknames. That seems to be a popular thing for Viking fans to do. I am guessing it has something to do with lake water. Or dominant mothers….either or.

I thought I’d find a better QB on the unemployed list, but that’s a horrid list.

raideralex99 says:May 31, 2014 9:26 PM

May 31, 2014 8:30 PM
Let’s be honest the teams this guy has been on aren’t the greatest judges of QB talent and most importantly the coaches this guy has played for haven’t been Vince Lombardi (two of them weren’t even Michael Lombardi).

****************************************************************
There is a reason why great coached don’t draft BAD QBs …. only the desperate coaches do!
What does that tell you?

bobzilla1001 says:May 31, 2014 10:33 PM

Of course Freeman should’ve never started that game vs. the Giants. That goes without saying. Freeman also should’ve NEVER finished that game, a mind-boggling decision that ultimately got Leslie Frazier deservedly fired.

As for “Mr. Butt Fumble”: Mark Sanchez is twice the QB that Freeman has become. Going to two AFC title games requires at least a hint of talent, which Freeman sorely lacks.

It’s a what have you done for me lately league. Freeman was a starting QB and team captain in 2010. Since then, he’s been on losing teams and has contributed to his team’s problems. He’s probably the only QB in NFL history to get to head coaches fired in one year.

I dont understand why so many people want to maintain he is “not dumb.” Is it because he is black? I don’t care what his wonderlic was. Fact is THREE teams have given up on him QUICKLY because of one fact… He can’t learn an offense. So call it what you wan’t but it is at least “slow learner” or maybe “football dumb” if you are still unwilling to call him “dumb.” He might be educated, but when it comes to football and life choices he seems “dumb” as a box of rocks….

“He was never given a chance in Minnesota” is the dumbest thing a person could say. The fact that he started too soon is reportedly on Speilman, not Frazier.
And what do you think? Coaches just judge a guy by that one game? You think they don’t see him in practice, drills, weight room, classroom, everywhere? Judgement of a player by a coaching staff is not the way a beer swilling casual fan makes a judgement. Minnesota did him a favor by not talking him down (as Tampa Bay did). the mistake Minnesota made was signing him to begin with. Which was a decision of Speilman, NOT FRAZIER you Viking critic geniuses….

I couldn’t agree with datageek’s comment more. Furthermore, during Freeman’s career year threw mothership did one of their big biography type stories on this guy. Based on that one season which i believe was his 1st or 2nd as a starter, i don’t think anyone saw his career falling off like it has. Usually, contrary to must positions, qbs generally improve as they age & mature. If our human bodies didn’t deteriorate a good qb at 25 would be an even better qb at 35 & many qbs careers have followed that line of logic. Something more is going on here than the passage of time. No way should he have washed out this early. The biggest difference between him & JeMarcus Russell is Russell never had ANY success in the NFL. Freeman has shown flashes of what he could be. I don’t have any knowledge as to why but i believe something outside of football is having a major influence in him.

Statistically, he’s a Top-5 Viking QB in their history. His Minny career completion percentage is a stout 37.7%. His 190 yards passing in a single game is the 3rd most ever by a MN QB. He only threw 1 Int though. That’s probably what cost him his job. Viking QB’s are trained to throw 4-5 picks per game.

Wasn’t he on the Vikings for about 5 hours before he got that start against the Giants? I don’t know the guy personally so I don’t know if he’s dumb. What I can tell from watching him play is he’s obviously lazy and doesn’t study. Please though stop with the Mark Sanchez is better right now they both suck and if Freeman played on those Jets teams they would have still made the Conference Championships that’s had a lot more to do with play calling and D than Sanchise. Compare their good years Freeman almost doubled his yardage total and threw way less picks. You might be right though one is employed one isn’t.

tformation says:Jun 2, 2014 2:13 PM

Man, you have to wonder about what the Giants saw in his brief employment there. Doesn’t sound good for Josh… whatever it was.

I was honestly wondering if the Bears would pick him up to back up Cutler. Still might, I suppose. Apart from Jordan Palmer, the Bears drafted a QB in the 5th or 6th round… long shot to bring Josh in there though…

Freeman needs to go to an organization who will be willing to make excuses for his poor play.

ajd4 says:Jun 4, 2014 12:33 AM

I have never witnessed an NFL QB look more bewildered and inept as when I watched Josh Freeman against the Giants on MNF last year. He was in awe of the complexity of throwing a football. The Giants must have noticed this as well, yet they still brought him in. I know they cut him, but why would they even bring him him?